Rocky Mountains July ’11 part II

We continue on the Fourth of July trip … across Beartooth Pass we go, on US-212. One of the most scenic drives to be found anywhere.

Squeezing in the last of morning light.

This sign might very well date back to when US-12 in Wyoming was renumbered to US-212 in 1963! There are very few US-212 shields in Wyoming.

About 9500 feet up the pass. This view is in infrared, which causes ice to show up bright blue.

A marmot appears.

A very ordinary view from a very famous location. The trees have grown some, obscuring the river, but the old routing of US-191 from where the photo was taken is still accessible – it is, in fact, a parking lot for a specifically designed viewpoint. Alas, we did not get the sort of spectacular clouds of that one day in 1942.

Did not actually happen.

Heading north towards Yellowstone.

Some geese on Lake Yellowstone.

We’re now heading out of Yellowstone on US-212.

Supercow is looking directly at us.

A yellow flower.

It is July, and this waterfall is still half-frozen.

The first 212 shield. It’s officially not signed in the park … but this one is a couple hundred feet shy of the exit. And yes, it’s a cutout.

This stop sign has seen less-decrepit days.

Looking back west towards Yellowstone on 212.

Same basic view, different set of frequencies.

Close-up of Mount Pointy. That’s probably not its real name.

Deceptive photo. The implication is that those mountains are on US-212 heading east. They’re not – the sign is at the north end of the Chief Joseph Highway in Wyoming, and it just so happens to line up with the mountains to the west. (Not to fear, the mountains to the east are equally impressive.)

The Chief Joseph Highway heads off into the distance.

I do not know which waterfall this is.

We’ve reached the snow line, and Yellowstone is now just a distant point on the horizon.

Iridescent clouds.

Not a lot of snow or anything.

Half-frozen lake.

Yep, typical July weather in Beartooth Pass.

Raise periscope!

The view from about 10,300 feet. We are almost at eye level with those distant peaks.

The road winds its way past the glaciers.

The Bear’s Tooth is precisely the peak you would expect it to be in this picture. This is the top of the pass: 10,947 feet.

There is a good reason why the pass didn’t open until June 7th.

A multicolored frozen lake.

Wind-blown snow on the peaks.

We’ve made it to Montana. The state line is at about 10,700 feet – just below the summit.

This sign is positively ancient. It’s at the Montana state line – the first sign heading into Wyoming.

The Montana side of the pass has significantly less snow.

These blue flowers manage to grow at this altitude.

The Yellowstone River canyon.

non-people creature eats people food.

A good place to finish. The only sign of this style we saw in Montana.

Next up, we head east on 212, across most of the width of Montana and into South Dakota.